Leaching apparatus.



No. 758,713. PATENTBD MAY 3, 1904.

G. W. STEAD. LEAGHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26, 1902. NO MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 3, 1904.

GEORGE WV. STEAD, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LEACHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,713, dated May 3,1904.

Application filed July 26, 1902. Serial No. 117,079. (No model.)

My invention is designed for use in those processes for extracting'metals from ores wherein the ore is brought into contact with chemicalsolutions or electrolytes in a suitable receptacle; and the object ofthe invention is to provide an apparatus wherein at the same time thatthe liquid is agitated the ore fed in at one end of the receptacle iscarried forward progressively and brought into intimate contact with theliquid.

The leading feature of the invention comprises a pan or receptacle whoseforward end is, for a reason hereinafter appearing, preferably madeoutwardly fiaring, a series of agitators or scrapers extendingtransversely across the pan with their lower ends adjacent to the bottomthereof, these scraper-s being hinged to a suitable support in suchmanner that they are adapted to swing freely in one direction, togetherwith means for imparting a reciprocatory movement simultaneously to saidsupport, and consequently to the scrapers in a horizontal plane, theconstruction being' as hereinafter described, whereby ore fed in at therear end of the pan will be advanced progressively through the liquid bythe several scrapers in their forward reciprocation and automaticallydischarged from the latter by the action of the forward scraper orotherwise removed from said pan.

The invention also relates to certain features and details hereinafterdescribed and pointed out.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 is a pan or receptacle having'outwardly-flaring ends.

2 is a bar extending' long'itudinally over the top of the pan andpivotally connected by a link-rod 3 to a wheel or crank 4 upon a shaftthat is journalcd in a bracket 6, projecting from the rear end of thepan. This shaft is driven by any suitable means, such as by apower-driven belt (not shown) passing over a pulley 7 on said shaft. Bar2 passes between rollers 8, that are supported on the top of the pan inorder to maintain it (the bar) in proper position when reciprocatedthrough the rotation of the shaft, as hereinafter described. Fastencd toand depending' from the said bar is a series of hangers 9, to whoselower ends, respectively, are secured horizontal bars 10, from whichdepend Scrapers 11, extending transversely across the pan and whoselower ends are closely adjacent to the bottom of the latter. These serapers are hinged to the bars 10 and adapted to normally occupy theposition shown in the drawings-that is, the ends adjacent to the bottomof the pan-from which position they may be swung in one direction, butnot in the opposite direction by reason of the upper end abutting'against the bars l0, the latter forming a stop.

The bottom of the pan is in this instance, in which the apparatus isdesigned for use in a cyanid process, covered by a plate 12 of carbon(anode) or other suitable electric conducting' material, and above thebars 10 within the pan and at each side of the vertical bars 9 areseries of horizontal (cathode) plates 13, that are secured to the sidesof the pan, or single plates, one extending' lengthwise of the pan onone side of bars 9 and the other at the other side, may be used. Beneaththese cathode-plates are suspended tilter-screens 14, of suitablematerial, which I sometimes use. The plate 12 is connected byconductor-wires 15 to the positive pole of a battery or dynamo and theplates 13 by similar wires 16 with the negative pole.

The mode of operation of the inventionis as follows: The pan is charg'edwith the liquid electrolyte, such as eyanid of potassium, and the ore isplaced or fed in at the rear end of the pan-that is. into the space backof the first one of the series of Scrapers, being the one to the rightof the drawings-the ore descending to the bottom of the pan. The bar 2is now caused to reciprocate by driving the shaft as in the direction ofthe arrow in Fig. 1, whereupon the Scrapers are lirst moved back-Wardly, and in so doing, owing to the resistance of the liquid and ore,they will swing forward on their hing'es, and on the returnreciprocation they will also by the resistance of the liquid and ore becaused to assume the normal or vertical position. On this forwardreciprocation the rear one of the Scrapers will carry forward a portionof the ore, and the operation being repeated continuously the ore willbe carried forward and brought into intimate contact with the agitatedliquid progressively by the several Scrapers until when it, the ore, hasbeen advanced to the forward end of the pan-that is, in front of theforward scraper-it may be removed from time to time. I prefer, however,to make that end of the pan outwardly flaring, as shown, so that aportion of the ore advanced by said scraperswill at each forwardreciprocation Athereof be fore-ed, so to say, automatically out over thetop of that end of the pan. AS the liquid in front of said forwardscraper 'willfiow back over the top of the scraper and through thespaces between the ends thereof and the sides of the pan, none of theliquid will be forced out of the latter, although in practice the levelof the liquid would be below the top of the pan. The Scrapers comingclosely adjacent to the plate 12 keep the latter clean and at the sametime insure the carrying forward of practically all of the ore in frontof the Scrapers. Then it is desired .to conveniently treat the ore asecond time, I employ a duplicate of the apparatus described and placethe pan thereof in such position, as shown in Fig. l, that the oreforced from the first pan, as described, will be discharged intothesecond pan. In such case the bar 2 may be extended over the latterpan, the Scrapers within the Same being connected with said bar, therebyavoiding the necessity of duplicating' the bar and mechanism forreciprocating the same.

Vhen the apparatus is to be used for treatment of ores by otherprocesses in which a liquid agent is used to act on the ores and inwhich electricity is not employed-as, for example, in 'a leachingprocess by sulfuric acidthe anode and cathode plates may be dispensedwith.

It is not essential that the Scrapers or agitators shall be vertical, asthey may -be suitably inclined with relation to the bottom of the pan,if desired.

Havingthus described myinvention, I claim aS new1 and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. The combination of the pan having theoutwardly-inclined forward end, the series of hinged Scrapers extendingadjacent to the bottom of the pan and adapted to swing forwardly andmeans for stopping the same from swinging backwardly, a support to whichsaid Scrapers are hinged, and means for reciprocating Said support,Substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the pan, the reciprocatory bar, rollers carried bythe pan for supporting and guiding the bar, the series of hingedscrapers 'connected with said bar and extending adjacent to thebottom'of said pan, and adapted to swing in one and the same direction,and means for stopping the same from swinging in the opposite direction,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the pan having the outwardly-inclined forward end,the longitudinally-movable bar, means for Supporting and guiding thesame, means for imparting a reciprocatory motion thereto, the series ofhinged scrapers extending adjacent to the bottom of the pan, andconnected with Said bar, and adapted to Swing forwardly, and means forstopping the same from swinging backwardly, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

4. The combination of the pan, the longitudinally-movable bar, means forreciprocating the same, the hangers Secured to and depending from saidbar, the transverse horizontal bars Secured to the latter, the Scrapershinged to Said transverse bars, respectively, and extending adjacent tothe bottom of said pan, and adapted to swing in one and the samedirection, and means for stopping the same from swinging in the oppositedirection, substantially as and for the purpose Set forth.

5. The combination of the pan, the series of hinged scrapers extendingadjacent to the bottom thereof, and adapted to swing in one and the samedirection, means for Stopping the Same from swinging in the oppositedirection, means for reciprocating said Scrapers Simultaneously, theanode-plate in the bottom of the pan, and the cathode plates, or plate,below the top of the pan and above said Scrapers, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

6. The combination with a pan, of a reciprocatory bar extendinglongitudinally thereof, a bracket carried by said pan, a shaft journaledupon said bracket, a wheel or crank carried by said shaft and to whichSaid bar is pivotall y connected,a series of hinged scrapers lconnectedwith said bar and Vadapted to swing in one and the same direction, andmeans for preventing Said Scrapers swinging in the opposite direction.

7. The combination of the pan, the series of hinged scrapers extendingadjacent to the bottom thereof, and adapted to swing in one and the samedirection, means for stopping the same from swinging in the oppositedirection, means for reciprocating Said Scrapers simul- IOO IIO

taneouslyv the anode-plate in the bottom of the fixed my signature this27 th clay of J une, A. D. pan, the cathode plates or plate below thetop 1902.

of the pan ancl above said Scrapers and the a w f n 1 nter-screensbeneath sal cathode ,plates or GEORGE n' SIRAD plate, substantially asand for the purpose set lVitnesses:

In testimonyY wher-coll l have hereunto af- VAI/run C. PUsIcY.

